Car-roof construction.



N. S. REEDER. CARIROQF CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION men APR. 24. 1914.

Patented Oct. 24,1916.

i @TATFN PATENT UFFIW 11 11111 NATHANIEL S. REEDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PRESSED STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAR-ROOF CONSTRUCTION;

mosses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 241:, 1 51116.

Application filed April 24, 1914. Serial No. 834,091.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. REEDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 5316 East End Boulevard, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Roof Construction, of whioh the following is a specification.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive roof construction which will be weatherproof and at the same time allow air to circulate within a car to which the roof is applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means for the easy attachment and adjustment of the roof plates and of t he Weather-proofing element which engages the edge portions of the roof plates. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means of attaching roof plates to a car which will permit of the easy removal or replacement of such plates.

Another object of the invention is to provide weather-proof expansion joints between the roof plates of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carline, which, when applied to a car, is adapted to conduct to the exterior of the car any water which may leak through the joints between the roof plates.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts and in which- Figure 1 is a fragmental plan view of a portion of a car roof constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a. sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-4. of Fig. 1; the roof plates and weather-proofing element being extended farther than those shown in Fig. 1.. Figs. 3 and 4: are detail plan views of portions of one of the carlines; and Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail sectional views taken on the lines 55 and 66 respectively of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates the side plates of the car which may be of any suitable form or construction, but as shown in the drawing are preferably of- 2 section.

2 indicates the carlines, each of which lineare flattened and turned downwardly as at i and are secured to the side plates 1 by rivets or other suitable means.

The roof plates 5 preferably extend continuously across the width of the car and at their outer edges are provided with downturned portions or flanges 6, which when the plates are applied to the car are adapted to rest on the carlines and extend outwardly and beyond the upper edge of the side plate 1. In the drawings, spaces have been shown between the downturned portions 6 and the side plates 1, through which spaces air may freely pass in and out of the car, thus permitting the efficient ventilation of the car. It will readily be seen by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, that if a car is desired of other than the ventilated type, the downturned portions 6 of the roof plates 5 may be made to contact with-the side plates 1, or the spaces between the portions 6 and the side plates 1 may be closed by any other suitable means. The edge portions 7 of the roof plates 5 are turned downwardly and are adapted to extend within the channel portion of the carline 2 when such plates 5 are in their proper position on the car.

Each of the cal-lines 2 is provided with a plurality of members 8 and 9 which are secured within the channel portion thereof. The members 8 are each provided with a portion 10 which preferably extends in a direction longitudinally of the carline and which may be secured to the web of the channel portion by any suitable means. Intermediate their ends each of these members 8 are provided with a pocket or recess 11 which may be formed by portions integral with the portion 10, or may be made a separate member and secured thereto. This pocket or recess 11 is adapted to receive the head 12 of a bolt 13- and is also adapted to hold such bolt against rotary and vertical movement. Each of the members 9 is also provided with a portion 10 which preferably extends in a direction transversely of the carline and is provided with flanges 1 r1-t, which are secured to the sides of the channel portion.

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The other portions of these members 9 are substantially the same as those of the members 8, and the description of such-member 8 will also cover the portions of the member 9 which are substantially the same. It will be seen that the member 9 instead of being secured to the sides of the channel portion of the carline, may be secured to the web of such portion. These members when secured to the sides of channel portion, are adapted to strengthen and stiffen the carline laterally, as well as forming an anchor for the bolts 13.

' 15 indicates a weather-proofing element which preferably comprises a metal plate bent to form a shallow channel section with flanges 16, 16 extending outwardly and slightly downwardly therefrom in opposite directions. This element 15 extends for preferably the full width 'of the car and at intervals is provided with perforations through which the threaded ends 17 of the bolts .13, mounted in the members 8 and 9, are adapted to pass. The ends 17 of the bolts 13 are provided with nuts 18 which when turned are adapted to engage the members 15 and force the flanges 16, 16 thereof into close contact with the roof plates 5, thus forming a weather-tight joint between the roof plates. The elements 15 are made preferably resilient so that, should the'nuts 18 become accidentally loosened, the channel portions of these elements will move automatically upward with the nuts, and while in contact with such nuts, will hold the flanges 16, 16 in close contact with the roof plates-5. It will be seen from the foregoing description that the roof plates 5 are slidably clamped or held between the elements 15 and the carline 2, thus allowing the roof plates to move relatively to each other and to the carlines when the car has become deformed due to heavy jolts or shocks under service conditions. This construction also permits of the expansion and contraction of the roof plates due to changes in weather conditions. Should any water leak through the joints formed by roof plates 5, and the flanges 16, 16 of the element 15, as above described, due to damage of the member 15 or other causes, it will drop within the channel portion of the carline 2, and as l a result of the downward and outward inclination of the web portion of such channel from the longitudinal. centerline of the car to the side plate 1, the water will be conducted to the exterior of the car.

Although in the drawings and foregoing description, only one carline and the roof plates and other parts cooperating-"therewith are illustrated and described, it will be. understood by those skilled in the art, that a railway car roof is composed of a plurality of such parts.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that many minor changes in the details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a car roof, a carline of substantially U shape in cross section, having laterally extending flanges, and tapering in depth from its central portion toward its ends and forming a drain channel to the sides of the car, in combination with roof sheets having downturned side portions extending within said carline, said roof sheets extending from side to side of the car, and having their end portions spaced from the side of the car to form ventilating spaces between said end portions and the side of the car, a weatherproofing element having a concave upper surface overlapping and resting upon the side portions of said roof sheets, a bolt passing through said element and anchored in a member secured in the carline and adapted to receive the head of said bolt, said bolt securing in contact with each other the carline, roof sheet and weather-proofing element and providing a flexible roof structure.

2. In a car roof, a carline of-substantially U shape in cross section, having laterally extending flanges, and tapering in depth from its central portion toward its ends and forming a drain channel to the sides of the car, in. combination with roof sheets having downturned side portions extending within said carline, said roof sheets extending from "'sideto side of the car, and having their end portions spaced from the side of the car to form ventilating spaces between said end portions and the sides of the car, a weatherproofing element having a concave upper surface overlapping and resting upon the side portions of said roof sheets, a bolt passing through said element and anchored in a member secured in the carline and adapted to receive the head of said bolt, said bolt securing in contact with each other the carline, roof sheet and weather-proofing element and permitting movement of said roof sheets relative to said carline and weatherproofing element and providing a flexible roof structure.

3. In a car roof, a carline of substantially U shape in cross section, having laterally extending flanges, and tapering in depth from its central portion toward its ends and forming a drain channel to the sides of the car, in combination with roof sheets having downturned side portions extending within said carline, said roof sheets extending from side to side of the car, and having their end portions spaced from the side of the car to form ventilating spaces between said end portions and the sides of the car, a weatherproofing element overlapping and making an edge contact only with said roof sheets, a bolt passing through said element and'anchored in a member secured inthe carline and adapted to receive the head of said bolt,

saidbolt securing together said carline and Weather-proofing element in such a manner as to permit movement of the roof sheets relative to said carline and weather-proofing element.

4. In a car roof, a carline of substantially U shape in cross section having laterally extending flanges, said carline taperiing in depth from its central portion toward its ends and forming a drain channel to the sides of the car, and having vertical end flanges adapted to be secured to the side plates of the car, incombination with roof sheets resting upon said carline and having downturned side portions extending within said carline, said roof sheets extending con tinuously from side to side of the car, and

having their end portions spaced from the side plates to form ventilating spaces be.- tween said end portions and the side plates, a resilient Weather-proofing strip extending from side to side of the car, having a concave upper surface and downturned ends,

the side portions of said stripoverlapping and contacting with the sideportions of said roof sheets, a member secured in said carline having an open pocket therein adapted to receive a bolt, a bolt engaging said member and passing through said weather strip, and adapted by means of a nut to secure said carline, roof sheet and weather- 

